At IFA 2024, I used to be in a position to wrap my arms across the Tecno Pocket Go. This controller is barely bigger than a conventional Xbox controller, is definitely a Home windows 11-powered mini PC. It is a screen-less Steamdeck, which you’ll be able to hook up with any TV, monitor, and even a pair of AR glasses to play wherever. It is the hand-held console I am most enthusiastic about proper now.
After I go to tech reveals, the key phrases “AR glasses” and “VR headset” often scare me away. It was no shock that I lacked any enthusiasm once I dropped by Tecno’s stand at IFA 2024 in Berlin. Initially, I went there primarily to see if the Phantom Final 2, the smartphone that folds into three, was on show. It wasn’t, so I settled for the Tecno Pocket Go. Typically, destiny has a humorous method of doing issues.
A Home windows 11 mini PC in a controller
Visually, the Tecno Pocket Go seems like an enormous, unofficial Xbox controller. It is fairly giant and, above all, thick as a result of it incorporates a 50 Wh battery. I did not get any information on its battery life, sadly.
We’ll discuss in regards to the AR glasses that may be linked beneath. Nonetheless, the Tecno Pocket Go may also be used by itself. All it’s important to do is hook it as much as a display screen.
On the technical facet, we discover an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS CPU. One of these 8-core processor is often present in pocket book PCs, however there’s additionally 6GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. The Tecno Pocket Go has no built-in display screen. There’s more room contained in the chassis, and the producer has maximized it. The controller options a big fan linked to 3 copper tubes for cooling.
With the AMD Radeon 780M GPU built-in into the chip, most fashionable video games may be performed. After all, we can’t be capable to obtain 120 FPS in 4K on Cyberpunk 2077, for example. Throughout my session, I used to be in a position to play a racing sport. Your entire expertise appeared pretty fluid, however I am undecided I used to be enjoying at a relentless 60 FPS.
The Tecno Pocket Go runs on Home windows 11. Sadly, I could not navigate the interface as a result of my unit ran out of battery. There have been additionally fifteen different journalists round me, simply ready for me to present them a flip. Tecno defined they’d their very own pores and skin to make navigation extra intuitive with the joystick. You too can join a keyboard and a mouse in any case.
Gaming wherever, in every single place, and in augmented actuality
The concept is to make use of this transportable console on the transfer. Because it does not have a built-in display screen, it’s important to join it to a pair of AR glasses by way of USB-C, referred to as AR Pocket Imaginative and prescient.
The glasses characteristic two 0.71-inch micro OLED screens. You too can modify the diopter from 0 to 600°, and the sphere of view is meant to be equal to a 215-inch display screen positioned 6 meters away from you. Personally, I discovered the gap somewhat too far however visibility was nonetheless superb.
The glasses observe your head actions with a six-axis gyroscope and a selfmade algorithm. It labored very effectively throughout my session. The digital display screen all the time remained straight in entrance of me. The glasses may also ship you vibrations, however I did not discover something throughout my hands-on.
What I additionally discovered very cool was, in idea, you may join these Pocket Imaginative and prescient AR glasses to different gadgets (smartphone, Nintendo Swap, one other PC).
I am unable to actually touch upon the audio high quality of the glasses. The Tecno stand at IFA was swarming with individuals, and the present is all the time very noisy. I had set the quantity low sufficient to listen to the Tecno supervisor’s explanations when he spoke to me.
All that is lacking is European availability
Sadly, the Tecno Pocket Go isn’t but accessible in Europe. Other than a “soon” as promised by one of many model’s native representatives, I’ve had no further data.
What is for certain is that the Pocket Go controller and Pocket Imaginative and prescient AR glasses may be bought collectively or individually. There are additionally a number of unanswered questions that I am unable to reply but.
The console’s battery life is an important level. Is it value strolling round with an enormous controller and glasses if the battery lasts for under two hours?
My too-short hands-on session did not enable me to correctly gauge efficiency both. I hope to have the ability to get a evaluation unit to benchmark and check extra video games on it.
In any case, the Tecno Pocket Go is my favourite machine on this 12 months’s version of IFA. I feel it is a extremely authentic idea that deserves to be explored additional.
What do you consider the Tecno Pocket Go after this hands-on? Does the controller + AR glasses combo make sense to you? What do you consider the potential for utilizing the console with none glasses?